Local DIY record label Steak & Cake held a wonderful two-part show on Saturday where this split was supposed to be released, but unforeseen circumstances held it back (and prevented Inquiring Mind from performing). That's a whole other story; the point of this post is to talk about the digital release of this Steak & Cake split featuring Inquiring Mind and Beekeeper.

We've actually written about the first track, Inquiring Mind's "The Only Way" before, with Nick Sessanna calling it an "ultra-hip" mix between Pavement and Lorde. That's a fair comparison: the guitars sound charmingly detuned, but singer Jaz Frazier's voice comes through confidently. It's her persona that sets her apart from either act. "The Only Way" starts out playfully megalomaniacal, with Frazier singing that she never thought she'd find someone as "pretty" or "witty" as herself before she met her current match. But that gives way to the chorus: "Together forever, the stories say... together forever, it's the only way." There's an edge to the way she delivers that "only," especially as the song progresses, that underscores the storybook sentiment with a threat. Frazier's voice is lovely enough that we at first want to read her persona as "Manic Pixie Dream Girl," but we soon find that dropping "Pixie Dream" brings us closer to the truth. It's a good dynamic, preventing us from being totally taken in by Frazier and forcing us to listen more closely to the very strong three tracks that Inquiring Mind supplies to the split.

The other half features the piano-drive stylings of Beekeeper. To riff again off the words of another buffaBLOG contributor, our fearless leader Mac McGuire, Beekeeper sounds like Youth Lagoon meets early Broken Social Scene: hooks coated with noise, echo, and a hint of despair. I'll say this back to Mac: no matter what Trevor Powers of Youth Lagoon is singing about, his voice always struck me as a little cutesy. Beekeper's Eli Van Son doesn't have that problem. Far from it, in fact. These songs express a whole range of darker, more subdued emotions. The vocals are at times buried, at times garbled, at times distorted, but they always come through strong, like Van Son is crooning from the last piano bar in hell. The standout track is the album closer, "Come Back Home." Opening with the noise of a small gathering, suddenly Van Son is all alone, a distorted voice roaring out "We grow tall enough to fall" like the words are being ripped out with a fish hook. From there, the song builds, and drops, and builds. There's a new surprise around every corner, be it a head bobbing rhythm or a catchy-as-hell vocal riff or a lull into a lullaby-esque xylophone break before returning to the main, distorted theme. It ends with the line "The skies we saw don't make it easier at all/to punch the clock and come back home," as if all the beauty that preceded it was worth nothing at all.

Don't let that last downer fool you: all the beauty that preceded it on the entire split was actually quite impressive. It's awesome to see a split come out of Steak & Cake with two great acts that fit together so well, especially considering how varied Steak & Cake's roster is. Inquiring Mind brings us up to a manic pitch, Beekeeper brings us back to a contemplative lull, but by the end of the release, we feel recharged, ready to do it all over again.

The Christmas spirit is strong in WNY. If you haven't had a chance to check out our 12 Days of Christmas series so far, give it a look. Some of our favorite acts from Buffalo and Rochester have been dropping holiday tunes as the big day approaches. Just today, Steak & Cake Records released the trailer for Christmas Meltdown, a holiday covers album being dropped on Monday, Dec 23rd, just in time to fill your last couple days with seasonal music. The album features contributions from Sonny Baker, Anthony Delplato, Inquiring Mind, and others. You can watch the trailer to Christmas Meltdown below.

Editor's note: For our best of 2013 coverage, we once again reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For today's installment in the guest series, Brandon Schlia, founder of Steak & Cake Records, submitted his best of list. Steak & Cake recently released Sampler IV, the label's yearly compilation. 

I read through last year's posts and saw that we were all happy to be back on the map as a city that deserves attention for it's music. This year I feel like we're in a sophomore transition. The things that were good are getting even better and by early next year, I think some of our hometown sweethearts will see some serious attention on a national level. The talent here is undeniable and platforms like buffaBLOG create access for the rest of the world. Thank you for doing all that you do and for having me back as a year end contributor.

I decided to do my TOP SIX for both NATIONAL and LOCAL recordings.

LOCAL:

1. Cemeteries - Hisk Husk
Where did this guy come from!? Sometimes it seems like he's making exactly the kind of music I look for on a national level, and here it is right in the backyard. This album was released in 2013 but it's actually a rarities collection covering the past few years (plus he also goes by Camp Counselors now). There is definitely a goth influence, but to me it sounds more like an EDM horror film soundtrack. Most of the melodies are brooding and disturbed but gorgeous and severe. Sometimes it sounds a lot like Grizzly Bear, sometimes I hear Elliott Smith. He's at his best when he's combining genres on songs like "Antiques" or "Old Soul" and the drums flush the sound out to resemble a full band, albeit at the hands of one man. I find myself comparing Cemeteries to Caves, an artist on the S&C roster. I guess there's a place in my heart for solo projects that try and blend the beautiful and torturous through atmosphere and delivery. It's a real "in your head" kind of album and I suggest headphones and a long walk at night under a light snow if you want to hear it just right.
 

2. Thom Daly - Thinking Mans Dance Music
Ever listen to a record where the musical mind behind it sounds like they're only comfortable when they're multitasking? Thom Daly has the kind of neurotic edge that makes his music unbelievably engaging. I keep listening to it thinking, WHAT THE! I actually say that out loud often when I have it on the background. Take the Beatles, make them play jazz music, and add in a penchance for noise and abstraction. He's self indulgent in the sense that you don't get much consistency, but you get to see where his head's at, the full range of his influences, and his dynamic capabilities. I don't know much about him but either he's a very talented horn player or he has some session player friends. I've searched for a jazz indie crossover in the local scene and here it is! This is probably the best Buffalo record you never heard of.



3. Del Paxton - Worst.Summer.Ever. 
I'm sure this is going to be on a lot of year end local best of lists, and deservedly so. Dylan England makes hard hitting, classic emo rock and he's been doing it for the past 10 years that I've followed his bands. He writes the kind of lines you hear and simultaneously think: "that's exactly how I feel!" & "man I wish I could have come up with that!" Add to that Greg McClure & Zack Schoedel, two friends who spent years playing together in the Ithaca scene before transplanting to Buffalo. With combined skill and history of these three super talented instrumentalists, I knew it'd be a favorite. It might be trendy right now, but these guys have been playing this music from the beginning and I'm happy they're here doing it right and giving Buffalo a good name. Also, I have to mention that my good friend Adam Korbesmyer engineered this record and his touch is exactly the kind of 4th member influence needed to make one of the best records of 2013.



4. Space Wolves - IV
A two piece surf band that writes 2 minute pop hits and releases self recorded albums on cassette that you can buy at locally owned record stores? They're a poster of the DIY ethics of 2013 and I'm grateful Buffalo has a band like this. They'll play any show anywhere and I like that attitude; I also like having that many opportunities to see them live because they're so exciting to watch. The telephone receiver microphone is a great touch and being there is like time traveling to a garage show in Palo Alto, CA, 1971. Although I've listened to all their records in passing, "Break Up" made this one stick. I can't wait to hear what happens for them in 2014. (Also definitely listen to "Ethel").



5. Hussalonia - Double Fantasy 
Hussalonia has a record called Percy thrills which is a reference to Paul McCartney's alter ego, Percy Thrillington. Here, we find him recycling the title of one of Lennon's most recognizable solo efforts with Yoko. The influence of the Beatles on the founder's output is undisputed but I like it when he drops a hint on who he's focused on channeling. This one struck me as especially well executed with all the fat trimmed. The longest song is only 2:52. He sets up the melody, hits the refrain, drops a bridge and hammers the outro. Aside from the posted song, definitely listen to "Waiting Still," the album closer.



6. Snowbeast Records -  Halloween Compilation #1: Ritual
I love compilations and will explore even the most flimsy in search of a few standout tracks. When this sampler came out from Snowbeast, I was surprised to find that everything on it was super cool! It's definitely got that dark sound we've come to know from one of it's co-founders (Kyle from Cemeteries/Camp Counselors) but it also showcases some great 50's punk (Kreeps) and my personal favorite, the sultry female vocal led "Never Let it Die" by Psychic Twin.



NATIONAL: *disclaimer: two of these records were not released in 2013 but when it comes to national band,s I usually organize my year by what I found and not by when it originally came out.

1. James Rapp  - Twenty Moon
He sounds like Julian Casablancas and Father John Misty but with a more understated songwriting approach. Every track is the best, you gotta hear it all.



2. Luke Temple - Good Mood Fool
9 songs and 39 minutes of 1985 to the max. A sort of John Hughes tribute if his films featured psychedelic drug trafficking. Go in this order: "Florida," "Katie," "Those Kids"



3. Sirs - Sirs EP
90's by way of 50's indie rock with surfy elements from my good friend's brother's band. This record is mixed just right, its guts made of classic rock and roll sound. Polaris + Joan Jett + Pavement + Breeders + Braid + Get Up Kids + Ozma.



4. Kirkis - Purplefruit for X-Ray Vision
Like a couple jazz fusion greats played with a DJ that was doing live samples of their improvisations. Like the Eastmen Student Jazz Trio if they tried to pull off J Dilla's Adult Swim soundtrack live.



5. Elephant and Castle - Analogue EP
Imagine you time traveled to a house party in Alabama in 1974 and you took mescaline for the first time and listened to the soundtrack to Foxy Brown mixed with the Polish spiritual compositions of Krsysztof Penderecki and danced your ass off. 



6. The Magic in Threes - The Magic in Threes
Sexy black women in high heeled boots is what this sounds like. Makes me feel like I'm Snoop Dog high at the Playboy mansion. Start with "I Got Warrants" and then start over from the beginning and listen to the whole thing. 

Steak & Cake should be a staple of any local music lover's diet. This sampler, #4 in the series, is a potpourri of spacey, yet grounded music, and it's a damn good time. The gamut is run here from indie rock to electronic, but is always experimental. Tracks shimmer with a distinctive fuzzy, and simultaneously  sparkling aura. Steak and Cake is constantly moving towards creating new, intriguing sounds,  and is ever productive. Decorated with colorful and quality songs and recordings, Brandon Schlia's lo-fi, indie label will be celebrating it's third birthday on Saturday, February 15th with two shows. Further details are yet to come.

Over the blog's near four year existence, we have had anywhere from the occasional contribution to regular staff writers come from a handful of Buffalo acts, including Merchants, the Tins, Early Attic, and Brother Keep. Yesterday, when Steak & Cake released the label's newest album, I Wrote This Song For You Fifty Years Ago, from new act Inquiring Mind, I realized we had another great musician on staff, that being one of our newest writers, Jaz Frazier. Now in all my talks with Jaz, she never once mentioned she was a musician, and in particular, that she had that voice. In hearing the recordings, though, I'm glad she kept this pet project to herself, as the surprise of the release was nearly as good as the release itself.

Looking at the contributor list on the album's bandcamp page, you pick up on sense of community behind the recordings. Some guitar tracks from a fellow local musician, lyrics from writing peers, and even vocals from some of Frazier's cohorts (including this sleepy guy) from Gate Circle Wine & Liquor, the shared "homebase" of fellow Steak & Cake artists Rackmastas, all are scattered over the album's 8 tracks. And over those 8 tracks, Frazier sure puts her broad musical taste out on the table. Punk, alt-country, electro pop, and other genres are all covered surprisingly well.

Now if you are frequent Steak & Cake listener, you can tell right away that this is a Brandon Schilia production. That is not meant to take anything away from the record, but Schilia has certain quirks, like signature writing and production, that you can't help but notice when listening to the label's ever growing catalog. What makes this stand out though is the strong vocal presence of Frazier, whether she is channeling her best Karen O on the Yeah Yeah Yeah like "Thomas versus Boo," or conjuring the smokey soul of Amy Milan on "Oliver at the Chinese Place." 

That community vibe I touched on earlier is perfectly demonstrated on the album's closing track, "Pie versus Cake." The playful, group harmony led song, which recalls Kevin Drew's campfire singalong tune "When It Begins," could easily have been a silly throwaway tune, but rather had me thinking of how fun this project was for Frazier and crew.

I Wrote This Song For You Fifty Years Ago has proven its worth to be considered as one of 2013's stronger Buffalo releases, and we look forward to hearing future collaborations between Schlia and Frazier, and any other musicians that Gates may be employing for that matter.
 

It's no secret that buffaBLOG has a soft spot for Steak and Cake records. S&C Founder Brandon Schlia is often busy pumping out excellent Buffalo-centric releases, including songs from his own personal band, The Malones. But Schlia is also the man behind The New York Breakfast (or NYBRKFST), a decidedly more experimental take on indie pop than the straightforward Strokes-rock of The Malones.

Before I say anything else, NYBRKFST's new album, M.M.C., falls into a very specific category of record - it's a break up record. Everyone has their own record that soothes that raw part of your heart. Whether it's Deja Entendu or Transatlanticism or some other outlier album that just happened to enter your life at the right place at the right time, the fact of the matter is, we've all been there; rejected by the ones we love. With M.M.C., Schlia articulates it in such a way that you can't help but feel as though you were the third person in the relationship. He tackles the uncomfortable period of moving on - seeing that person with someone else, the regret of things that could have been, all of it. It's well thought out and articulate - it sounds a little bit like a spacier, more electronic version of his labelmate (or signee, depending on how you look at it), Anthony Delplato.

"Tuesday" kicks off the album with some quasi-ambient indie rock. There is this "thing" about NYBRKFST that I can't quite put my finger on...  Schlia's music falls somewhere in between electronic and organic musicianship. A comparison to MGMT ("July 24") or The Postal Service ("BBQ") might be accurate for fleeting moments, but they are still not quite right... And even though there are hints of The Malones scattered throughout these songs (see the end of "M.M.C."), it's not garage-rocky enough to warrant a "sounds-like" tag. Schlia is a man of many talents - in this case, he seems to have been able to blend all of them into a perfect concoction of influences.  

Songs like "Sweetie" start out with a unique riff and blissfully drift off into Schlia gold.  But the song that really got to me was the 6:33 title track, "M.M.C."  After some noisy ambiance in the beginning, Schlia hits hard. "In Allentown you laid a chain link fence of rumors down and they traveled directly to me. I was sitting in one of two white chairs on the Old Pink patio, not wanting to know anything or whose arm you're hanging on now..." Meanwhile, the music plays out like a modern, more straightforward version of The Gloria Record. The song itself kind of meanders through a loose structure, but in the long run, that ends up adding to the overall feeling and meaning of this album. It's that feeling of not wanting to know anything or wanting to commit to anything. The feeling of knowing there is news you don't want to hear, and that nevertheless, one of your loud mouth friends is going to end up blabbing it to you anyways. Maybe I'm putting words in Schlia's mouth, but that's what I took away from M.M.C.

As if he wasn't already firmly cemented in the foundation of Buffalo's music scene, NYBRKFST is that little extra push that truly validates Schlia as a Buffalo renaissance man. Luckily for us, when he stretches his singer-songwriter wings, it fits in seamlessly with the rest of his Steak & Cake peers.

Our own Tony Rocky Horror has just released for your petrification Buffalo Wiretap, today Friday the 13th, on Steak and Cake Records. An appropriate release date, as there is an Amanda Bynes (that frighteningly familiar "Hollywood pussy") imitation track "Toots" that I know for certain if you don't crack a smile or fall out laughing, you're a monster. Though, it may be considered monstrous to laugh at all. But who are we kidding? It's fucking funny.

No one genre is contained within this album. Tony Rocky's got hip-hop, punk, and grunge mish-mashed within these six tracks, and likely drunken skits spattered along the way.

Beastie Boys-esque vocals add sass to "One of a Kind" along with rapping friend Mic Excel, from Buffalo's Essential Vitamins Crew. A crying baby is the closest I can compare Aaron Coniglio's voice throughout the album- a marvelously intonated baby. Just let that baby cry; he sounds happy to me. Spot on drums from Ken Cult keep the music at a clean and energetic pace, especially for "Friday Night on a Saturday," where the crashing never ends.

The anticipation of a live show is itchy, thinking of the intense reaction a crowd will have to this album. Buffalo moshers will find this album suits their desire to push all show-goers around them the moment Tony Rocky Horror strikes up the first song of Buffalo Wiretap. Listen up, and listen often.